Category: Politics

BY OBEY MANAYITI THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC yesterday said it will snub another round of national dialogue slated for today, claiming President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF government is not taking their concerns seriously. Mnangagwa recently invited 22 losing presidential aspirants in last year’s harmonised elections for talks, but Chamisa snubbed the gesture. The following day, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches organised a prayer breakfast meeting, which Chamisa attended, but Mnangagwa was in no-show. Although a majority of small parties will likely attend, Zanu PF and MDC have traded barbs over…

BY RICHARD CHIDZA THE opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa is likely to hold its congress in October after a national standing committee meeting held on Wednesday failed to come up with a date, NewsDay has learnt. Sources who attended the meeting said there were heated exchanges during the meeting over the interpretation of the party’s constitution. But Chamisa told his lieutenants that he would have the final word. Chamisa reportedly clashed with party secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora after the latter recused himself from indicating which date he preferred congress to…

The process of reconstituting the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has begun in earnest as Parliament has started inviting nominations of suitable candidates to replace commissioners that resigned on January 31. Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda ZACC chairman Dr Job Whabira and his entire commission, comprising Dr Nanette Silukhuni, Mr Goodson Nguni, Mrs Christine Fundira, Mr Denford Chirindo, Ms Cathy Muchechetere, Ms Farai Mashonganyika and Mr Boyana Ndou left, having been in office from February 2016. President Emmerson Mnangagwa described the old commission as “rotten to the core” and its…

MDC Alliance senior official Robert Saunyama, popularly known as Jack Roberts, and his younger brother and Chikanga-Dangamvura’s ward 6 councillor Danmore Saunyama were on Tuesday night abducted by eight suspected State security agents. Robert Saunyama They were heavily armed and driving an unmarked Toyota double cab vehicle. Jack Roberts is the district chairperson for Mutare South, a constituency he contested for and lost to Zanu PF in the July 30 elections. Manicaland police said they had not received any report concerning the issue when the Daily News enquired about the…

HARARE – Former President Robert Mugabe celebrated his 95th birthday at his palatial home in Harare on Thursday. In three pictures released on Twitter by one of Mugabe’s former ministers, Saviour Kasukuwere, Mugabe posed for a family portrait with his wife, Grace, his daughter Bona and son Robert Jnr. In another, the man who led Zimbabwe for 37 years sits alone, impeccably dressed in a blue suit. He is also seen standing next to his wife, who wore a yellow dress and white doek. There was no sign of their…

By Pamela Shumba The body of the late national hero and former Cabinet Minister, Professor Callistus Ndlovu is set to be airlifted to his Brunapeg, Plumtree rural home today ahead of burial at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on Saturday. Pallbearers carry the casket bearing the body of national hero Professor Callistus Ndlovu on arrival at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo. Accompanying the body from South Africa was Cde Ndlovu’s widow Angeline (behind the pallbearers). — Picture by Eliah Saushoma Prof Ndlovu (83), who was also Zanu-PF’s…

BY Stephen Chadenga Gweru provincial magistrate Charity Maphosa on Tuesday acquitted MDC youth leader and Highfield West legislator, Happymore Chidziva, who was being accused of inciting violence in the run-up to last year’s elections. In acquitting Chidziva, Maphosa ruled that the State had failed to provide enough evidence to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. In their submissions last week, Chidziva’s lawyers, Jeremiah Bhamu and Brian Dube, indicated that they were making an application for discharge because the State had failed to prove a prima facie case against their client.…

By Shamiso Dzingire Five protesters were yesterday each jailed five years after being found guilty of participating in a wave of demonstrations dubbed Shutdown Zimbabwe last month. File picture of protestors being led to court Simbarashe Nyamadzawo, 22, Gilbert Jasimoni, 34, Abisha Musakanda, 24, George Tomu, 26, and Danny Sere, 27, were convicted of public violence charges before Harare regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya and were each sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. A juvenile, 16, who was part of the gang, was sentenced to receive five strokes of the cane before…

By Tendai Kamhungira In a rare piece of good news for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, pictured, and his under pressure administration, he has been given a stay of execution by the European Union (EU), whose Parliament had proposed tough sanctions against him and many of his key lieutenants. President Emmerson Mnangagwa addresses members of the diplomatic corps during a belated New Year’s reception at State House, Harare, 14 February, 2018. Sources close to the EU told the Daily News yesterday that it was hoped that the temporary reprieve would nudge Harare…

By Pauline Hurungudo Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in media violations carried out by the military as compared to the past years when the police were behind most of abuses of media practitioners. Members of the military gesture to the photographer as they patrol the streets of the capital Harare, Zimbabwe(REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko) According to the media watchdog, while the police have abridged the past gruesome persecution of journalists, improving relations, a significant number of journalists assisted by Misa last year were assaulted by members…